After? One
by Jennifer Creyner
Summary: The first chapter in the story of Jodie and Zoey after they are reunited,
1. Chapter 1

After...?

**One**

**I.**

It's been years since it happened, years since I've felt Aiden's presence. It hurts every day, no matter how much time has passed and Zoey and the others only help me to control the pain, they could never get rid of it altogether. Sometimes I wish that I'd chosen the other path, chosen to leave life and go Beyond, to where Aiden is and waits for me. For now I have a more difficult task ahead of me. Zoey is different, I can feel it and I need to be here for her, to help her grow and develop the power that sleeps within her soul. I don't know exactly what it is, she doesn't have another soul attached to her like I did but the power I feel from her is something else entirely, I know the fate of the world rests on her shoulders but for now I will protect her from this knowledge and keep her safe from the secrets I have found through my past.

**II.**

Every day that she grows, the power she cannot yet control grows with her. The darkness scares me, bringing me back to the fears I once faced as a child. If Aiden was here, I'm sure he would know how to handle the darkness that sleeps within the power she heralds; instead I am left to quietly reassure her that the monsters and demons she sees at night will not harm her. I tell her it is because she is so brave and they don't want to come near but I know the truth of why they don't attack her at night as they once did to me. They are afraid.

**III.**

The sky is growing dark, I feel as though my story is coming to a close and hers is finally beginning, everyone is starting to feel afraid of the future, reports keep coming through on the news about attacks in the streets by 'unknown entities' that prey in the darkness and have no remorse for those they kill.

I knew that they would rebuild it eventually, the condenser that I only just managed to destroy the last time. It's only a matter of time before things go wrong and I can feel that time is approaching more quickly than I would like. The time has come for me to speak to her about all of this, to tell her about my past, about Aiden and about the things that are about to come.

"Zoey, could I have a word?" I feel myself shaking but try to control myself so she doesn't notice.

"What's it about?" Her attention was focussed on the book in front of her.

I looked around her room, she was laying face down with her chin resting on her hands so she could read more comfortably, her legs were swinging backwards and forth in the air behind her as she read silently. Books littered the floor around her, she had been reading for hours now without stopping, "What are you doing?" My curiosity got the better of me.

"If I keep reading, maybe I'll be able to read every book in the house before things get bad," her legs continued to swing back and forth, "that would be nice, then I could remember the stories to try and make myself feel better about all the bad things happening."

Kneeling beside her I picked up a book off the floor, it was a fairy tale about a girl who was locked away in a tower, "What bad things?"

"You know."

"I know?"

"Yes, because you were coming to tell me about all the bad things that have hurt you in the past, all the things that make you cry at night and scream into your pillow when you think no one is watching you. You are going to tell me about them and then you are going to tell me that something bad is going to happen in the future." She didn't move her eyes away from the book she was reading, only her legs kept moving, swinging back and forth beside me, "You are afraid."

Placing the book back on the floor I looked at her, "You're right, as ever. Although I didn't know you were watching me so closely." I paused and she stopped moving, "You already know about my past, and my present. It's the future that you need to know, this 'bad thing' is going to come and there's nothing we can do to stop it from happening."

"It's going to happen soon but I don't want it to, my mum," she closed her book and looked at me, eyes filled with tears, "everyone I know is going to hurt and even though you and I both know, there's nothing we can do about it, is there?"

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly, "I'm still going to be here. Remember that." I pulled away from her, putting my hands back down onto my knees, "Out there, somewhere is a world that we all return to when we die, our souls don't just disappear, they go to a place that we call the Infraworld. It isn't only the dead that live there though, things that seem to be made of pure evil live there too and they delight in taking the souls of those that are not yet dead and steeling them away.

"All these attacks, they are all related to this place. In the past I was part of what created a machine that could tear open cracks in our reality, cracks that led to the Infraworld and let through both the souls of the dead and creatures that would pointlessly kill all those around them. After helping the Pentagon to be the only ones in control of that world, I realised that I didn't want to be a part of their experiments any longer."

"What did you do?" Zoey had moved into a sitting position, her legs crossed and her eyes wide as she listened to the tale I had to tell.

"When I had decided that I was going to leave, they tried to stop me like they did with my mother, they tried to take away my life without killing me. If it wasn't for Ryan and Cole, I would have slipped away and I wouldn't be here right now. Aiden found them and led them to me, he saved my life so many times, I've lost count of how many times." My voice caught in my throat and I forced back a sob, "He's gone now, Ryan and Cole are still here but Aiden... I can never feel him ever again, never be annoyed by his constant presence, I'll never feel the happiness I felt when he tried to cheer me up and make me laugh. Aiden was the one who linked me to the Infraworld and because of him my life was turned into a battleground."

"Aiden?"

My tears fell freely as I thought back to the days when he was with me, "I have never blamed him for my life, ever since I was born I was being watched by those that wanted me only for my abilities. I just didn't realise it until it was too late. Now they have managed to build another condenser and this time I don't think there is anything I can do to stop the Infraworld from trying to take over the world of the living."

Zoey touched my arm gently, my fists were clenched so tightly that my nails had drawn blood in the palms of my hands, "Why are you telling me this? Why can I see those monsters and why are they afraid of me? If they know then why don't they do something to stop it from happening? Why are they doing it in the first place?" Her eyes were wide, no longer with interest but with terror, she shivered violently and her skin was clammy and cold to the touch, "Jodie, what is going to happen?"

"The world is going to end. Everyone is going to die."

She burst into tears, Stan and Tuesday rushed into the room, "What's happened? What's wrong?"

Tuesday picked up her daughter and brought her into her warm and loving arms, "It's okay, it's all okay, I'm here."

I stood, heading towards the door before Stan gripped my arm and looked into my eyes, "Jodie, is everything okay? You've seemed so down lately, what have you two been talking about?"

He could see the tears streaming down my cheeks, "My past, I told her of my past and how it's going to affect the future." Turning my head to face Zoey and Tuesday, I watched them hold each other so tightly, "You are going to be the one Zoey, you're the future and your strength will be the thing to save everyone. I am going to be with you, you will never be alone."


	2. Chapter 2

After...?

**Two**

**I.**

This is the time, I watch the news carefully for any signs that the situation is getting worse out there. We've all been put under house arrest for days now, everyone in the city. Every so often a runner comes by with packs of food to help keep us going but I believe we're all beginning to get a little restless, considering that it all started with a large explosion. Not all of us heard it, we weren't close enough but it was shown on the news, the news crews ended up having to run for their lives as entities escaped the building in their masses and proceeded to attack anything and everything in their path.

We're all afraid now, Tuesday and Stan haven't been talking to me properly since I made Zoey cry but even in their silence I know they are fearful of what is going to happen.

**II.**

They can't be stopped now, it's all happening at once and the world feels wrong, as though it no longer belongs to us any more. We were sitting down, all of us, watching the television for any news. The runner had told us to keep an eye on the box because something was finally going to be done, I had greeted him this time and realised he was wearing a portable generator, "That won't help you for long." I told him.

He looked at me, a brief glimpse of recognition on his face, "It's the only thing we've got."

The news flickered onto the screen, on time as usual only this time something was different, something was off about the people on the screen. There was a man and a woman, at first they were talking in hushed whispers before they realised they were on air; they whipped round to face the cameras looking pale and scared.

"Today, it was the last attempt to stop the random and brutal attacks that have been going on throughout the country since the explosion a week and a half ago. All of you will be wondering what has gone on but even now I'm not permitted any access to that information, all I can tell you is the ones doing the attacking are not people. In fact they are a completely unknown entity that we have never faced before, they are fast, can go through walls and they will kill everyone they see.

"You'll be waiting to know if this last attempt to get rid of these things has worked." The presenter paused, staring down at the sheet of paper in his hands in a defeatist manner.

The woman interrupted, "It hasn't worked. The president has declared that the house arrest is no longer in effect from now and that, if you can, get yourselves out of the immediate vicinity as quickly as possible."

Stan was staring at the screen, "What's going on?" He didn't believe it.

I looked at them, all of them, "We need to get out of here now, believe me when I tell you that these things, you can't mess with them. They don't care about normal weapons and they certainly don't care about life. They will drag you Beyond, where they and all the other souls of the dead belong."

Before I knew it, we were running, packing things in rucksacks and dressing in thick, warm clothes. It was then that it happened, the explosion came from the side of us, the apartment that had been next to this one. What had they done? I didn't waste any time, I grabbed the bag, dashed around the house to find the others and we all stole away into the street, away from the fire. Stan looked at me, "Deja vu?"

"Yeah."

Then we ran.


	3. Chapter 3

After...?

**Three**

**I.**

I can't tell you what's happened because I don't know, for the first time in my life I feel like I really am no longer in control of my own story. Nobody has asked me to save them, no one has come to me for help, the CIA are no where to be seen, all there is is terror the instinct to run.

Tuesday and Stan are holding onto Zoey, telling her over and over that everything 'is going to be okay'. I wish I could say the same, wish I could turn to everyone and tell them that we are all going to survive this but I can't, all I can do is sit here and watch as they rock back and forth together.

We are in the subway I think, hiding out with a group of other people that we don't know, the smell of stagnant sweat and fear mixes in the air around us, it's hard to get used to. Already dirt smears the once white walls, families that survived the first slaughter cling together in packs, hiding themselves from the strangers around them. Everywhere I look people are whispering to each other, telling their own stories, I don't see much point in telling my story of what has happened, it's too long to tell.

**II.**

Zoey and I have some time to ourselves, her eyes are wide with fear and I carefully wipe the dirt and grime off her cheeks. We are talking in low whispers, just in case anyone else is listening in, "What can you see happening?"

"Not much, we just hide out here for a while, they won't notice us until they actually start looking."

I shake my head, "I guess there is a large amount of people to choose from, before the condenser was only ever contained in one building. I'm worried about Tuesday and Stan."

Droplets of water started to form underneath her eyes, she let her hair fall forward over her face so no one would notice, "I'm worried to, I can see them..." She paused, carefully looking back to check up on them, "I see them die, both of them, I don't know what's happened to the others either, I can't see them anywhere."

"I don't know, I can't say for sure if they survived that first wave or not, everyone was panicking. I'm sorry." I said this as though it was my fault, even though I know it wasn't. I guess the sombre atmosphere is starting to get to me.

"We can only try and survive as long as we can," she looked at me, right into my eyes as though she was trying to stare right into my soul, "do you think they can do anything about it? Do you think the people who made this happen can stop it?"

My head shook before I even knew how to answer, "It was me the last two times, or at least the last two time that I know of. They were never very good at dealing with the things that came from the Infraworld."

**III.**

Night time. Or at least I think it is, it's hard to tell in this dingy subway platform we've made a temporary home out of, it's always dark in here and to try to prevent the monsters from attacking they decided to barricade the entrance. I know they can travel through the walls but I haven't mentioned this, it would only cause the people down here to panic and that would make the situation worse, make us more noticeable. It's better to keep them all as calm as possible.

Zoey and Tuesday are sleeping, they're leaning on the wall with loose jackets to cover them. Stan is stood next to me, watching me closely, "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"Even if I did, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"Do you think we can find one of those runners?" He changed the subject quickly, turning his head towards the entrance.

"Why?"

He shrugged, "They were wearing those force field things, they always looked strange. I wondered if that force field thing would help us."

I looked at him, "There's no way of knowing where to look. They would be useful though and it's called a portable condenser. They work to a point, to keep those things away."

Shrugging again, he turned away from me and headed back towards Tuesday and Zoey, "Just an idea."

It wasn't until he'd sat himself beside the other two that I took my eyes off of him. Finding one of those runners would be very useful and not only for getting a portable condenser; they would know where the building that the main condenser was built, they would also know where more portable condensers are kept.

**IV.**

I'm peeling away at layers of the barricade, most of the people are asleep and the ones who aren't are just staring at me like I am insane, perhaps I am. Aiden used to be here to protect me from those things, now I have nothing but myself, what kind of protection is that. A space, large enough for just one person to sneak out and it looks like it's light enough outside for me to see without a torch.

Before I get the chance to crawl through, someone pulls at me from behind, making me turn. It's a boy, must be about sixteen or seventeen years old; his face is coated in mud and dirt, it looks like he must have been pulled out of some wreckage and dragged along. His hand grips the back of my shirt tightly and I slowly pull his fingers away, "You can't come with me, it's too dangerous."

"Find my mum and dad."

An orphan? It almost bring tears to my eyes as a tear away and crawl through the hole towards the new world outside.


	4. Chapter 4

After...?

**Four**

**I.**

The moon is so bright that it's almost blinding, the starry night sky lulls me into the false belief that everything could still return to the way things used to be. The only difference now is that when I look around me all I see is destruction and chaos. I remember when we were running, desperately trying to find somewhere to hide, every so often we tripped over fallen debris from buildings that had crumbled, there were burning cars, people screaming and shouting for help. It's quiet now, the streets are dark and silent, abandoned cars litter the once clean roads, most of the houses and flats have fallen down after being mercilessly attacked by entities that flooded out of the Infraworld.

Life and death mingle together in the place and I can feel the evil all around me, I hug my arms around myself as I walk, keeping my chest warm in the bitter night cold. How I wish that someone was here with me, this moment reminds me too much of the past when I was sent in to help them switch off a condenser that had malfunctioned. Aiden was there with me then, now it is so lonely without him.

I hear something snap behind me and quickly duck for cover behind the charred bodywork of what once was a van of some kind, it only takes me a few moments to hide but it could already be too late, I could have been spotted.

"Jodie?" A familiar voice, too familiar.

Carefully I made my way out of cover and peaked round to see if my fears were justified; standing a few feet away was a terrified young girl, a terrified young girl I recognised, "Zoey? What are you doing out here?"

She ran towards me and hugged me tightly, "I saw you sneak out, I thought you said you weren't going to leave me alone."

**II.**

We had been arguing for a while before she finally convinced me that it was best if she came too. I had told her why and she agreed with me straight away that it was a good idea. Now we were walking together, checking every other building that was still structurally sound to see if we could find a runner that was hiding out somewhere. In the worst case scenario we would find a carcass that we couldn't steal the portable condenser from, then we could have a better check on some of the more infested areas.

Apart from a few entities flying overhead it was reasonably quiet, they must have claimed down after the initial flood and mass murder of innocent victims. Every so often we'd come across a body, ice cold to the touch with eyes wide open and staring. I kept Zoey away from them, guiding her away gently so she couldn't see, I know she knows what I'm trying to keep her away from but she doesn't complain that I'm treating her like a child, she just goes quiet and looks up at the night sky.

**III.**

It feels like we've been searching for hours with no luck and not even a glimmer of hope that we'd find anything useful, Zoey is getting tired and starting to drag behind and even I'm finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. I look back at her, "Let's go back and call it a night, we're both getting tired and it might be worth leaving it till it gets a bit lighter outside."

She nodded in agreement and we trudged back to the subway avoiding the occasional entity that flew down into the streets to have a good rummage on a stray body lying in a gutter somewhere. As we got closer though I could feel Zoey tense beside me but I ignored it, thinking she was just getting a bit cautious because the sun was starting to sneak over the horizon. It wasn't until we were close enough to see the entrance to the subway tunnel that I could tell something was wrong, the barricade was missing from the entrance, instead it was scattered all over the street.

We started to run forwards, Zoey was crying and as we got even closer we could see the bodies. It looked as though they had been trying to run from something, something big. I grabbed Zoey and pulled her down as an entity the size of a small house burst from the ground just in front of us.


End file.
